13 March 2007

New House (o Casa Nueva)

Wall art from Casa Nueva

So I left the apartment with one plan and ended up enacting an entirely different plan. But hey, at least I got to test out my camera so I am not complaining.

I left the house planning to enjoy some Spanakopita at Salaam. However, since this restaurant is only open for dinner from Wednesday through Saturday (lunch is Monday through Saturday), I got shut out! Oh well. For better or worse, they are BYOB, so I went down the street to an establishment that could sell me alcohol that they provided rather than the hooch I brought off the streets.

I took the 100 foot long stroll to Casa Nueva. This place is a vegan/vegetarian/anybody with tastebuds paradise. There is only one problem with Casa Nueva. The food is great. The drinks are great. The people who work there are great. The wait from when you show up to when you get served is...not so great. Whenever you show up, plan on drinking and/or eating appetizers at the bar. The minimum wait seems to be 30 minutes.

That being said, I wait time and time again. The specials are always interesting. Tuesday specials involve King Family Farm meat, which is not in the realm of things I eat (although I applaud their commitment to quality). However, there are more veggie items here mixed up for vegetarians of all shapes, sizes and adjectival characteristics than I can eat in a seasonal menu period, so Casa is muy bien (see pictures of Salaam and Casa Nueva in link below).

The place is a cooperative, meaning all of the employees own it. This is a fantastic thing to note for the Marxist horde reading this right now.

The specials are always interesting. Casa has offered specials on fusion night that include an Ecuadorean styled empanada with Indian curried potatoes and a huge plate of seasoned rice and vegetables. That previous experience led me to get the special with artichoke heart empanadas.

The combo platter (yeah, I'm really falling off, aren't I?) features a rolled artichoke heart and onion enchilada topped with salsa verde and the artichoke heart empanadas served with a side of jasmine rice and black beans.

The food is really only one reason to fall in love with the Casa. The commitment to organic, sustainable local products is impeccable. Check the end of the menu...it is impressive. Organic produce, non-irradiated spices, fair trade organic coffee and a wide assortment of infused vodka drinks that work cohesively with the food are some of the many reasons it feels good to eat at C. N. In addition to the infused vodkas, Casa features a number of Ohio brews on tap. Casa Nueva also features music most nights.